Mac double up: Brit firm introduces second single-cylinder model ahead of NEC public debut

British bike firm Mac Motorcycles have revealed the Rex – a second single-cylinder model – ahead of both bikes’ public debut at this year’s Motorcycle Live show.

The upright machine shares the same tubular steel backbone frame, SWM-produced 600cc motor and ancillaries as Mac’s Ruby café racer, which MCN reported on in July. The 2022 NEC show from November 19-27 will be the first time the bikes will be seen by the public.

“It will be great just to get people’s reaction to it,” co-founder Ian Oliver said. “It’ll be interesting to see which one garners the most interest.

“When you get people who can relate to it and think ‘yes, that’s what I was looking for’, it makes you feel you’re on the right lines.”

The single-seat Rex differs from the Ruby with raised, flatter bars for a comfier riding position. The tail piece is also more relaxed, but the 760mm seat height remains the same on both models.

Both the Rex and Ruby produce a claimed 52bhp from their four-valve, fuel-injected motor. There’s also a hydraulic clutch and six-speed gearbox to feed power to the ground. The thumping single soundtrack is boosted by stainless steel twin-exit pipes produced by Italian firm, QD.

Bikes will be assembled in Britain, with the body panels from both machines intended to be interchangeable with around an hour of fettling – meaning you could own one bike for a period of time, before switching, or run a half-and-half configuration.

To facilitate this, all the cabling has been made long enough to work with either the hunched over Ruby or raised Rex positions. The overall wheelbase of both will be 1430mm, with the top speed said to be in the region of 100mph.

“We want people to be riding bikes ready for next summer,” Oliver continued. “They will be assembled in Yorkshire. Where else would you make the best motorcycle in the world, but in the best county in the world?”

Elsewhere, the braking power is provided by Brembo, with a front single radial caliper latching onto a 320mm floating disc. There’s also a Brembo master cylinder and rear caliper, this time with a 240mm disc.

Since MCN’s first coverage of the Ruby, the firm have been inundated with hundreds of inquiries from potential customers. This has led to the need to hire an additional assistant, with more potential customer details being recorded at this month’s Birmingham show.